System and method for knitting shoe uppers

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for manufacturing knitted shoe uppers. An article of fully finished three-dimensionally weft knitted footwear is manufactured through a knitting process which can be performed by an automated V-bed flat knitting machine. During the knitting process, a plurality of knitted members are knitted into shape sequentially and connected to one another through knitted live hinges, each member being a ply, a layer, a layer portion or an appendage. The knitting machine manipulates the knitted members into their destined places as in the final product without cutting and sewing, thereby forming a seamless unitary textile construction. The process creates a seamless, full gauge, dimensionally stable footwear upper, as a unitary textile construction with an integrated anatomically appropriate heel. The entire upper, including the closure element of the upper, may be completed exclusively by the knitting machine, ready for the following shoe making process.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims priority and benefit of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/673,091, entitled “METHOD FOR KNITTING A SHOEUPPER,” filed on May 17, 2018, the entire content of which is hereinincorporated by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to footwearmanufacturing, and more specifically, to the field of knittingmechanisms for manufacturing footwear uppers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional methods of manufacturing footwear uppers require the uppersbe manufactured with multiple separate components, requiring multipleindividual sub-assemblies and seams. From the perspective ofmanufacturing, utilizing multiple materials, which have differentproperties and performance features, then laminating, cutting, sewing,and constructing those multiple materials into an article of footwear,can be a wasteful, labor intensive, and inefficient practice. Forexample, the various materials utilized in a conventional upper may beobtained in different widths, lengths, thicknesses, densities, andpackaging arrangements. The materials may be from a single supplier ormany suppliers all over the world. Accordingly, a manufacturing facilitymust coordinate, inspect, inventory, and stock specific quantities ofready-made roll good materials (“yardage”), with each material being astatic design created by suppliers that may have distinct seasonal andtrend perishability.

Most laminated roll good materials are homogenous knitted material typesthat are laminated with additional layers, adhesives, foams, films andother materials in specialized equipment that runs at dozens of yarnsper minute. Piece good laminations have multiple structures applied toreinforce, cushion, and stabilize the base knitted body of the upper,and require that each piece be laid up (placed) into a registrationtemplate or mold. The various roll good component materials may alsorequire additional machinery to prepare, inspect, or they may requiresub-assembly line techniques to cut or otherwise prepare the materialfor incorporation into the footwear. In addition, incorporating separatematerials into an upper may involve a plurality of distinct sub-assemblymanufacturing steps requiring significant labor, space, and resources.Each time a material is handled, there is a waste factor associated witheach process, potential for mismatching lengths and widths, risk ofdamage to the material, potential for incompatibility of materials, riskof components placed out of registration, restocking of end lots, andother challenges to managing multiple materials in a supply chain andmanufacturing process.

In current knitted footwear upper manufacturing, there are several waysto manufacture knitted uppers, including: cutting and sewingtwo-dimensionally shaped textile roll goods, shaping, trimming, andassembling two-dimensionally knitted textile uppers, and manufacturingshort-row shaped three dimensionally knitted textiles, all of which areconsidered semi-finished textiles that require subsequent processes ofsub-assemblies, multiple steps of alignment, applying various structuresand materials, applying additional gluing or adhesive, and additionalfabric components on the upper to apply added layers of functionalmaterials. These subsequent processes result in added weight of theupper, seams on multiple places on the upper that create stiffness,registration dilemmas, reduced breathability, and sewing defects. Seamsfrom multiple applications create pressure points on the foot, resultingin blisters and other irritations. In the case of applying foams,additional materials, additional polymer layers, additional structurallayers, and irritation is worse at the seam points.

In the shoe manufacturing process, it is generally desirable to minimizethe number and types of materials in the article of footwear,particularly athletic footwear. Fewer materials reduces costs andincreases efficiency, given that shoe manufacturing is a labor-intensiveprocess. The typical shoe manufacturing process encompasses the steps ofselecting the materials required to combine to make a shoe upper toattach to a sole. Sending large rolls of the selected material to beflame laminated, adhesive laminated, bonded, or otherwise gluedtogether. Waste occurs at several points in the lamination process: asthe machinery gets started, is adjusted, and finishes the process. Thoseroll goods are then taken and laid out in multiple plies on cuttingtables or single plies are die cut to shape. An unavoidable amount ofwaste occurs in the cutting process. The next step is reducing thethickness of the joining edges (“skiving”) for leather or syntheticleather, reducing the thickness of the upper pieces (“splitting”),laminating by adhesive or gluing the interlining to the upper pieces(“interlining”), forming the eyelets, installing grommets for theeyelets if required by the design, adding reinforcement components,adding cushion foam components, stitching the upper pieces together,shaping the upper over a last (“lasting”), sewing the edges of theupper, stitching (“Strobeling”) the upper to a liner (“insole lining”),front part molding of the upper on the last, back part molding of theupper on the last, molding or sewing the bottom of the shoes to theupper (“bottoming”), setting the materials and adhesives in a heattunnel.

Modern footwear designs, principally athletic shoe designs, requirenumerous upper pieces and complicated manufacturing steps, leading tohigh labor costs, lengthy time frames for sourcing materials, fabriccompatibility issues, seam compatibility issues, production waste in thecutting process. Combining separate materials into a cut and sew typeupper involves multiple distinct manufacturing stages that requiremultiple labor actions and activities. Employing a plurality ofmaterials and seams, in addition to a plurality of textiles, may alsomake the footwear heavier, less comfortable, less anatomicallyfunctional.

The term “V-bed knitting” or “weft knitting” is used to describe theconstruction of fabric by feeding yarn and forming loops in thehorizontal (“weft”) direction. FIG. 1 illustrates the stitches createdin a weft knitting process. FIG. 2 shows a side view of the arrangementof two needle beds on a weft knitting machine. FIG. 3 shows side view ofthe arrangement of four needle beds on a weft knitting machine. FIG. 4shows a side view of the weft knitting machine with four needle beds andalso shows produced fabric exiting the machine.

To create the fabric, the machine 4 draws strands of yarn 3 into needles5, and uses the needles to interloop the strands. A V-bed weft knittingmachine typically has at least two opposing needle beds 6 as shown inFIG. 2, which are positioned at an angle resembling a VFIG. Each bed 6has a set of needles 5. In the case of 4 needle bed machines as shown inFIG. 3, it is equipped with additional two auxiliary or alternate beds 8which have fashioning points 7 or additional needles that allowrelocating stitches from the V-beds 6 to another location or addingadditional stitches.

As shown in FIG. 4, in weft knitting on a V-bed knitting machine, loopsare progressively built up in a fabric by converting the new yarnstrands 3 being fed into in the needle, creating into new rows of loops(“courses”), each stitch being a wale. Yarn 3 is fed into the machine byautomatically pulling a plurality of strands of yarns or other materialsoff a plurality of cones 9, or packages with the movement of theknitting machine feeders 10 introducing yarn into the needles 5. Severalfeeders 10 are located on each machine and run along rails 11 in ahorizontal direction. FIG. 5 shows the configuration of an autarkicfeeder. The feeders 10 of some V-bed knitting machinery, such as theStoll CMS ADF V-bed knitting machine, have standard OEM direct yarn feedto standard “autarkic” (independent and individually controlled)motorized feeders. They are capable of standard multiple OEM functions,knitting, floating, inlaying, intarsia, plaiting, and tucking in thesame machine pass.

FIG. 6 shows the configuration of a V-bed knitting machine. Other morecommon weft knitting machines (such as the Stoll CMS 530 HP V-Bedknitting machine) have strands pulled from cones 9, through one or moreyarn guides 17, into standard OEM stop motions 13, on an OEM bar 16 thento side positive feed devices 14, into side tensioning devices 15, alongthe yarn feeder rails 11, into yarn feeders 10, and into needles 5,activated by the cam box 12 which rides along the needle bed 6. Thestrands 3 run through the feeders 10 and are manipulated by both thefeeders 10 along the length of a pre-programmed length of the needle bed6 also in the horizontal (weft) direction, while the cam box 12 travelsthe length of the needle beds 6 activating the knitting needles 5 to actin interlacing of the strands 3 into loops of fabric 4.

The resulting fabric 4 exits the machine under the needle beds. Anelectronic weft V-bed knitting machine can be programmed automaticallyto select the needles and other elements via mechanical and/or digitalinstruction process. In forming loops (as shown in FIG. 1), the strandsbend around the knitting needles 5 and form a small dynamic arch, whichcan be broken down into its parts. FIG. 7 shows parts of a knittingloop. The head 18 is usually visible in the technical face 1 of afabric. The feet 19 are usually visible on the technical back 2, or purlside of a fabric. The legs 20 stabilize the head 18 and feet 19,suspended in the fabric, and linked to other adjacent loops. The legs 20also stabilize any materials which are inlaid 21 into the fabric.

There are traditionally two types of inlay in traditional weft knittedV-bed fabrics, single jersey 22 inlay, where loops from a single bedfabric are transferred temporarily to the rear bed, one or more strandstravel together 21, passing between loops on the front and rear beds inone or more traverses of the knitting machine. After the desired amountof materials are inserted (inlaid), the loops that were temporarilytransferred to the rear bed, and then deposited back into the front bedin their original position, or in another desired position. In doublebed fabric 23, the inlayed strand (s) 21 pass between an arrangement ofloops on both the front bed 24 and the rear bed 25. After the desiredamount of inlaid materials 21 are inserted (inlaid), another row(course) of loops is added in a desired knitting structure.

Modern V-bed flat knitting machines since 1987 move only where needed todigitally select and knit, or where required to move yarn feeders in thefabric for plaiting, intarsia, striping, jacquard, fully fashioning,flesage (wedge-knitting), short-rowing, inlay, and other techniques.

In the traditional manner of shaping of V-bed weft knitted fabric intoan upper, there are three main ways currently utilized: cut and sew,fully fashioned, and whole garment technique. FIG. 8 shows cut and sewroll goods for making shoe uppers. Cut and sew is exactly that, cuttingfabric, usually cutting pieces from one or several roll goods or fabricconstructions, and sewing the cut pieces of each together to fashion anupper. The sub-assembled textile components are made into finisheduppers by combining the knitting process and additional finishingprocesses such as: knitting two-dimensional rectangular textiles,knitted as plain fabric or with a shoe motif, then die cutting to therespective footwear shape, finishing raw edges, and sewing into acomplete upper with a seam closing up the heel, toe flex, or medialarch. Cutting creates scrap, and requires readying cut pieces for theproduction process (sub-assembly), including sorting, retarding fraying,coordinating timing, lot matching, and bundling. The cut and sew method,generates a significant amount of scrap waste, is labor intensive, andthe stitching results in bulky seams. Sewing seams are subject to humanerror and fatigue in the sewing process. The more seams, the more riskof damage and waste in the process. In weft-knitting, there are variousways to reduce seams, which have been applied to knitting footwearuppers into one piece, rather than the typical leather-industry basedprocess of assembling three to five components into an upper.

FIG. 9 shows the semi-finished textile upper made in a fully fashionedmethod. Fully-fashioned is knitting semi-finished panels to shape in twoor three-dimensions using short rowing, and then assembling the shapedpieces in a post process. This knitting process uses short rowing 29(wedge knitting) to shape the stitches into the upper and only knitsloops where required. The cam box 12, needle selection and the feeders10 follow the shape of the product's knitting structure. The result is asingle layer semi-finished two-dimensional upper shape, which requiresone or more seams to finish the fabric into an upper to attach to asole.

A hybrid manufacturing method of cut and sew and fully-fashioning isknitting a two-dimensionally U-shaped fabric format, optionally diecutting the tongue area, depending upon the instep design, finishing rawedges, and sewing the two dimensional fabric into a complete upper withone or more seams closing up the heel, toe flex, or medial arch. FIG. 10shows a U shaped die cut shoe upper made in a hybrid manufacturingmethod.

Another hybrid employed in upper manufacturing is knitting atwo-dimensional upper to shape in a butterfly format, and then sewingone or more seams to close up the heel, toe flex, or medial arch in oneor more post processes. FIG. 11 shows a short row butterflyupper-semi-finished textile upper. Another variation of this “butterfly”layout is shaping the toe and/or heel areas in addition to the shortrowing to shape the sides. This variation is knitting portions of the“butterfly” layout in three-dimensions and then sewing one or more seamsto close up the heel, toe flex, or medial arch in one or more postprocesses.

Shaping courses in two-dimensional textile knit structures and in thefully-fashioned “butterfly” layout and hybrid versions of knittinguppers described above is achieved by using short-rowing techniques.FIG. 12 demonstrates a loop diagram of short rowing, which is adding ordecreasing needles by knitting closed darts that resemble wedges in thefinished fabric. Fully fashioning an upper to shape saves considerablematerial, (upwards of sixty percent) which would otherwise be cut awayin a cut and sew process, and discarded as post production waste. Infashioning an upper on a two-needle bed flat knitting machine, thetypical aforementioned wedge knitting (short rowing structure 26)technique is used to turn the heel grain 27, for example, in relation tothe grain 28 of the main body of the upper.

However, the fabric shaping on two-needle bed machines by using shortrow (wedge) knitting 26 has limitations of increasing or decreasing byone-needle wide, by one-needle high at a time, creating an acute angle,which is subject to variations in materials. Short-rowing cannot make aright angle. Increasing or decreasing by more than one-needle wide byone-needle high creates stress on the knitting strand and the knittingneedles in pulling a long loop 29 which spans a space two or more timeslonger and wider, than the original loop. The result is a potentialfailure in knitting and/or a high stress fault line in the fabric thatmay not endure abrasion, tensile stretch and recovery, or the shoemaking process. Opacity may also be an issue with stretching loopsfarther than one stitch width at a time. Utilizing this short rowing(wedge knitting closed darts) technique creates a semi-finished upper(as shown in FIG. 11), which requires a seam to join the sides at theheel, medial arch or one or more places on the foot, to complete theupper's final shape.

FIG. 13 shows seamless whole garment short row. Seamless double-bedknitted uppers are currently created by knitting these afore mentionedshort row technique (as shown in FIG. 13). Shaping typically starts atthe heel, which limits the angle of the heel 27 to between thirty-fiveand seventy degrees to the main body of the upper 28, much less than ananatomically correct angle of a human heel. FIG. 4 shows an anatomy of ahuman foot.

Depending upon the material qualities, the angle of the heel, instep,toe and other shaped areas of current double bed uppers knitted in thismanner are limited by mechanical transferring constraints of two-bedflat-knitting machinery, and also the inability of the structure ofdouble bed fabrics in general to withstand the stretching required ofracking of the needle bed 6 to shift the legs 20 of tightly interlacedloops without breaking the strands. Utilizing this wedge knittingtechnique (short rowing) in FIG. 13, there is no transferring ofdouble-bed fabric loops, only adding of new rows of loops in a wedgelike shape (short rowing). In FIG. 12, which is a standard andhistorically used weft-knitting technique, there is no transferring ofloops. Rather, loops are held 29 while the wedge of loops isprogressively knitted. Short rowing distorts the fabric grain on anangle. The accuracy of repeating the angle in production is subject tomany variations including: material qualities, dye content of yarns,elasticity of yarn, size of yarn strand, tightness of the stitches,calibration of the machine, and other factors affecting material andmachine consistency. Increasing or decreasing the degree of the shortrow angle is limited by one-needle in the X direction by one-needle inthe Y direction, as described above. Moving more than this stretchesloops and creates potential failure points as also described.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a mechanism ofmanufacturing V-bed (“weft”) knitted shoe uppers composed of multiplecomponents on a knitting machine. The knitted shoe uppers are composedof multiple components which are knitted in sequential constructions andattached in the same knitting process, then gathered, plied, or foldedtogether to create an upper. The sequentially knitted components requireno cutting sorting or bundling of sub-components with each componenthaving nearly zero waste.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of manufacturinga weft knitted article of footwear in a unitary construction on a V-bedflat knitting machine. The unitary construction is made of one or moreyarn materials, which are incorporated into one or more stitchstructures. Each stitch structure has a unique set of mechanicalproperties derived from the properties of the materials chosen, thetension exerted by various knitting machine parts on the material,and/or how the materials interlace and interloop with each other.

There may be one or more stitch structures forming a layer or layerportion. Two or more layers or layer portions may be combined to form anarticle of footwear with predefined functions and performance. Theproperties of each layer and the manner in which layers are combinedaffect the performance and comfort of the article of footwear. Eachportion or layer may be a unitary construction completely formed andconstructed by the machinery. Each portion and/or layer may becompletely manipulated into attachment to the other layers entirely bythe machine, and each portion and/or layer may be configured by theknitting machine in the same knitting process.

The knitted upper may include multiple knitted structured componentlayers and/or appendages. Each layer and/or appendage may have differentfeatures and benefits. When the layers and/or appendages are plied,and/or folded, and/or gathered together, a complete upper can becreated. The knitted layer and/or layer portions and/or appendagestructured components may be of the same or different knittedconstructions and geometric configurations, each having a technical faceside and a technical reverse side that can have different knitconfigurations. The knitted layer and/or layer portions and/or appendagestructured components can also incorporate portions of a single layerconstruction and portions of a double layer construction. Double layerconfigurations may form pockets, channels, welt tunnels, gores, voids,ventilation holes, and other structural and functional knittedconstructions may be integrated in one or more areas of the knittedcomponent layer and/or layer portions and/or appendage structures.Inserts, hardware, foam, wiring, fiber optics, printed circuit boards,computing chips, heating elements and other materials may be placed intothe pockets, channels, welt tunnels, gores, voids, and other structuraland functional knitted constructions to provide support, stability,cooling heating, e-textile and/or smart performance characteristicsand/or other desired properties to the knitted component layers and/orlayer portions and/or appendage structures of the upper.

Embodiments of the invention allows for the creation of two and or threedimensionally knitted footwear upper to be formed, utilizing lightweightplies of multiple layer and/or layer portions and/or appendagestructures, functional materials, and functional structures which areall completed in the knitting machine in an automated process, and withno need for human intervention, and ready for the shoe making process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments can be better understood with reference to the followingdrawings and description. The components in the figures are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustratingthe principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the figures, likereference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views.

FIG. 1 illustrates the stitches created in a weft knitting process.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the arrangement of two needle beds on a weftknitting machine.

FIG. 3 shows side view of the arrangement of four needle beds on a weftknitting machine.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the weft knitting machine with four needlebeds and produced fabric exiting the machine.

FIG. 5 shows the configuration of an autarkic feeder.

FIG. 6 shows the configuration of a V-bed knitting machine.

FIG. 7 shows parts of a knitting loop.

FIG. 8 shows cut and sew roll goods for making shoe uppers.

FIG. 9 shows the semi-finished textile upper made in a fully fashionedmethod.

FIG. 10 shows a U-shaped die cut shoe upper made in a hybridmanufacturing method.

FIG. 11 shows a short row butterfly upper-semi-finished textile upper.

FIG. 12 demonstrates a loop diagram of short rowing, which is adding ordecreasing needles by knitting closed darts that resemble wedges in thefinished fabric.

FIG. 13 shows seamless whole garment short row.

FIG. 14 illustrates the anatomy of a human foot.

FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary double bed upper with anatomicallyappropriate heel that is knitted into a seamless unitary construction inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 illustrates the formation of a half-gauge tube sock upper in aknitting process.

FIG. 17 illustrates an overlap intarsia half gauge rib tongue.

FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary shoe upper with multiple appendagestructures and layer portions resulting from an integrated knittingprocess in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19 shows an exemplary multi-layer upper assembly resulting from aknitting process in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 20 shows a standard stop motion assembly on a knitting machine.

FIG. 21 shows a side view of a knitting machine with a plurality ofspools and cones.

FIG. 22 shows an exemplary weft knit warp layered functional upperassembly resulting from an integrated knitting process in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23 demonstrates an exemplary upper assembly with a functionalinterior liner resulting from an integrated knitting process inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 24 shows an exemplary shoe upper assembly with reinforcing weftknit warp strands traversing in separate directions as a result of anintegrated knitting process in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 25 shows an exemplary upper assembly with a lattice structure as aresult of an integrated knitting process in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 26 shows an exemplary upper assembly with multiple component stripswith tabs knitted turned cloth resulting from an integrated knittingprocess in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 27 shows an exemplary upper assembly with aligned layers resultingfrom an integrated knitting process in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 28 shows an exemplary upper assembly with a seamless upper portionrevealing an under-layer function resulting from an integrated knittingprocess in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 29 shows an exemplary intarsia structure generated in a knittingprocess in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 30 shows an exemplary weft knit warp insert and spacer structure,each generated in an integrated knitting process, in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 31 shows an exemplary seamless shoe upper with a heel insertstructure resulting from an integrated knitting process in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with thepreferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intendedto limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, theinvention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications andequivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in thefollowing detailed description of embodiments of the present invention,numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present invention. However, it will be recognizedby one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may bepracticed without these specific details. In other instances, well-knownmethods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described indetail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments ofthe present invention. The drawings showing embodiments of the inventionare semi-diagrammatic and not to scale and, particularly, some of thedimensions are for the clarity of presentation and are shown exaggeratedin the drawing Figures. Similarly, although the views in the drawingsfor the ease of description generally show similar orientations, thisdepiction in the Figures is arbitrary for the most part. Generally, theinvention can be operated in any orientation.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide weft or V-bed knittingmechanism to create a two-dimensional or three-dimensional article offootwear. An exemplary integrated knitting process includes knitting,gathering, plying and/or folding two or more shaped layers or portionsof layers to create a footwear upper. In varying shapes andconfigurations of each layer, layer portion and/or component, variousmaterials and structures may be placed where desired as in the finalproduct in three dimensions.

Certain materials may be placed on the interior of the void designed forholding a foot, other materials may be placed on the exterior of theassembly, and further materials may be “sandwiched” inside an upper,being neither on the outside nor inside the void holding the foot. Eachlayer or layer portion may be a knitted unitary construction that iscompletely formed, shaped, and configured by the machinery in the sameknitting process. Entirely by using the V-bed weft knitting machine, alayer or layer portion may be manipulated into it predefined place as inthe final product by the knitting machine and attached to one or moreedges of the other layers and/or layer portions.

Embodiments of the present disclosure can advantageously create afully-shaped upper in a unitary textile construction, which is shapedentirely by the knitting machine, and ready for the following shoemanufacturing process, with minimal waste. Each layer or layer portioncan be built and shaped exclusively in the knitting process by shapingsingle and/or double-knit structures. Each layer or layer portion mayalso incorporate appendage structures of support, function, and/oraesthetic applications that are also knitted in the same knittingprocess, eliminating the need for external sub-assemblies, management ofextra processes, materials, and scrap.

An exemplary integrated knitting process advantageously andsubstantially reduces the number of manufacturing steps in building andreinforcing a knitted textile formation suitable for performing as afootwear upper in a unitary construction. The integrated knittingprocess advantageously and substantially reduces wasted materials andlabor from lamination, cutting, pre-assembling, sewing, and finishingprocesses. The integrated knitting process advantageously andsubstantially reduces the number of manufacturing steps required inpreparing a footwear upper structure from a two-dimensional knittedtextile panel. The integrated knitting process minimizes the number ofmanufacturing steps in assembling a three-dimensionally knitted textileupper construction, which would otherwise require one or moresub-assemblies and multiple seam on various positions on the foot. Theintegrated knitting process further advantageously and substantiallyreduces the materials handling equipment and floor space required toreceive and process laminated panels and additional roll goods.

In this manufacturing process, only raw material spools may need to bestocked and subsequently processed by the knitting machine. Theresulting multi-layered footwear upper component configuration hasmultiple performance features integrated and with completely-finishededges to enter the shoe finishing process as a unitary construction.Utilizing several light weight layers interfacing with each other canadd strength, performance or functional characteristics where required,contribute aesthetic novel features, and enable incorporation ofembedded hardware or electronic inserts. It also leads to fewer seamsand lightweight characteristics of the footwear. The designs, colors,textures, jacquards, performance characteristics, and any combinationsof options may be different on each layer, and may be changed at will byadjusting, modifying, or creating a new knitting program.

Embodiments of the present disclosure can offer several functionaladvantages. First, a plurality of performance features (structures) canbe implemented simultaneously in the integrated knitting process in thesame unitary construction, with the structures attached by the knittingmachine and aligned where needed. Second, various materials are allowedto be implemented consistently into the same upper layer, layer portionor in different portions of the resulting three-dimensionalmulti-layered textile upper construction. Third, each layer is allowedto have a specific performance focus, without being restricted byknitting techniques or materials of other layers or layer portions. Afourth advantage is that many materials that would otherwise requireadditional sub-assembly can be integrated. A few examples are paddedareas, reinforcement structures, tongue assembly, insole, sole, andothers. Fifth, the device allows for integration of fiber reinforcingmaterials, conductive materials, auxetic materials and numerouscombinations of materials in layers that may be invisible, or otherwiseconcealed, to the user. Sixth, layers can be made as sub-assemblycomponents as in the case of embedded wiring, fiber optics, silicon,ligament structures, pockets, tunnels, channels, or anotherthree-dimensional textile configurations.

The manufacturing advantages of constructing layers and/or portions oflayers and/or inserts configured by the knitting machine as a unitaryconstruction, with each layer, or layer portion, and/or insert attachedduring the knitting process, can be: more efficient to manufacture byforming, attaching and configuring each portion with alignment to thewhole; all portions having compatibility of being knitted on the samemachine; and each portion knitted to accommodate other layer portions orstructures on layers, or layer portions. More particularly,manufacturing efficiency may be increased by forming more knittedcomponents during the knitting process and eliminating various steps(e.g., making a separate tongue structure, separate cushioning, separatereinforcement areas) or other layer pieces, which that are often cut,bundled, sorted, and attached in one or more manual processes.Structures, such as a tongue and other coordinating layers or potions oflayered knit element may also have materials and/or structures incommon, which react similarly when formed from the same strands.Likewise, layered elements may be created with similar or coordinatingknit structures and compatible stitch densities so that they canaccommodate each other. For example, utilizing the same yarn in twolayers of a bi-component tongue area with padding and of a similarconstruction is a two-layer knit element in an ankle structure, impartssimilar feel, strength, tactile, stretch, wear, thermal, as well asvisual aesthetic look (color and texture matching).

The layers, layer portions, components, and/or plies may include avariety of yarn types, for example: reinforcing materials, cushioningcomponent strands, aesthetic components, reflective, conductive, andelectronic and fiber optic cables. These knitted configurations mayinclude linings, reinforcement structures, and other constructedmaterial layers, created entirely in the knitting process.

In the illustrated embodiment, a layer or layer portion of a shoe upperis created in a seamless unitary construction where the angle of theheel grain 27 is created in an anatomically appropriate angle relativeto the main body grain 28 of an upper or portion of an upper. Theanatomically appropriate angle provides enhanced comfort fitting of thefoot.

The anatomically appropriate angle may result exclusively from aknitting process by utilizing four-needle-bed technology to join a heelinsert to the main body fabric of a double-knitted upper layer in steep,right, and obtuse angles, thereby creating a truly seamless upper 30 orportion of an upper. The heel is knitted in the same knitting process,manipulated into place by the knitting machine, and attached to a mainbody medial and lateral side, or at least one edge of another portion ofthe unitary construction.

FIG. 16 illustrates the formation of a half-gauge tube sock upper in aknitting process. Sock-like seamless tube structures created on modernV-bed flat knitting machinery are typically made utilizing two needlebeds, and employ a half-gauge knitting technique 31, which is knittingalternating needles on opposing needle beds, in order to manipulateloops back and forth to empty needles of the opposing bed 32. Inhalf-gauge knitting, each needle with a loop in one bed has an emptyreceiving needle in the opposing bed to which loops may be moved.

The half gauge loop manipulation 33 (transfer of loops) requires themachine to rack one-needle bed to align opposing needles for transfer.All stitches then reside on a single needle bed 34. To widen the tube,one-needle bed then racks one or more needle positions, and transfershalf of the stitches (which previously resided on the opposing bed) onthe opposing needle bed. These half of the stitches are also on one sideof the tube 35 to their new positions. The machine then repeats thetransferring of the remaining half of the stitches, which previouslyresided on the opposing bed, racking in the opposite direction 36,placing them in their new position on the opposing needle bed. Thismanipulation of stitches creates the shaping, narrowing or widening 37of the upper, with small fashion marks, where the narrowing occurs dueto placing two loops in the same hook, and small holes, where thewidening occurs 37. The open spaces creating in widening 37 are thenknitted in the next row of knitting. The resulting fabrication is twofacing half-gauge jersey fabrics 31, each a single bed fabric, havingsimilar structure of a sock with an interior purl face and an exteriorknit face. This type of widening and narrowing technique is also usedfor knitting sock-like seamless tubular structures on V-bed flatknitting machinery with four needle beds 38. All two-needle-bed andfour-needle-bed sock-like seamless tube structures currentlymanufactured on flat knitting machines result in half-gauge fabric,which is fifty-percent less dense than knitting all adjacent needles ina bed, due to taking every other needle out of action (half-gauge).

Whole garment technology is a weft knitting technique employed by flatV-bed machine builders such as Shima Seiki of Japan (trademark WholeGarment) and H. Stoll AG & Co. KG of Germany (trademark Knit and Wear).Whole garment technology utilizes half-gauge knitting techniques inmaking these sock-like tube constructions 31, shaping the tubes to makefootwear, and typically joining the shaped tubes into garments and otherproducts. Half-gauge is used for these techniques due to the transferlimitations of knitting and manipulating loops between two sets ofopposing needles in a V-bed knitting machine, and having limiteddestinations to transfer stitches. Half-gauge is also used due to themechanical transfer limitations of knitting and manipulating loopsbetween two sets of opposing needles in a four-needle bed V-bed knittingmachine, such as the Shima Seiki Mach2X and the H. Stoll AG & Co. KG730T knitting machine, both having limited destinations to transferstitches. In both sets of machinery, any loops which are transferred tothe upper auxiliary beds must be transferred to the respective receivingbed (s), immediately in the next pass of the machine, and in the samedirection that the machine knitting systems are moving. Current V-bedflat-knitted sock uppers, which utilize at least two needle beds, arecreated in half-gauge, using exclusively jersey-based (single bed)stitch structures such as jersey tuck, jersey knit, reverse jersey(purl), tubular jersey, and other sock structures similar to those madeon circular weft-knitting machines (sock machines).

To create a three-dimensional sock-like footwear upper on a flatknitting machine, the flat-knitting machine utilizes loops on opposingneedle beds (e.g., loop structures on the front beds 24), each creatinga knit face and purl side fabric facing each other in a flattened tubestructure. Alternating stitches on opposing needle beds are used for thepurpose of transferring loops to the opposing open needles (e.g., loopstructures on the rear bed 25) to create the desired shape.

To create the heel, the flat-knitting machine knits short rows of jerseyin one portion of the tube to create the heel structure. The resultingtube sock-like upper structure is composed of one or more jersey-basedknitting structures. Jersey based structures collapse on themselves, andedges roll toward the purl side. Jersey structure by itself is rarelysuitable to attach to a sole and contain a foot in motion. A jerseytypically requires post processes, and/or additional reinforcingmaterials to be knitted into the fabric, such as stiffeningmonofilaments and/or thermoplastic materials to be added and lateractivated, attachments to reinforce the structure.

Conventional half-gauge jersey-based fabrics do not connect the fabricon opposing needle beds, but rather jersey loops are manipulated toempty interstice needles on the opposing bed. Jersey-based stitches posea considerable challenge to creating stable articles of footwearthemselves, typically requiring several post processes to apply otherstructural materials and/or sewing applications to the interior and/orexterior of the upper to create a footwear structure capable of holdinga foot onto a sole consistently. Half-gauge sock-like jersey fabric isfifty-percent less dense. Thus, a machine with 14 needles per inchbecomes coarser, by using only 7 needles per inch in the same space.Jersey by itself would appear an impractical stand-alone choice ofstructure without additional reinforcing material applied. Half-gaugejersey would appear twice as impractical a stand-alone choice ofstructure for an upper, without significant reinforcing applications.Double bed fabric such as rib, cardigan, full cardigan, half-gaugejacquard, and other half-gauge double bed stitches can also be made inthis half-gauge manner on V-bed flat machines through shaping half-gaugeversions of these double-bed fabrics on four needle beds 31. FIG. 17illustrates an overlap intarsia half gauge rib tongue.

However, transferring loops between the two needle beds has limitationsof racking one to two needle positions in either direction. Racking isthe shifting of one-needle bed a given number of needle positions toalign a selected stitch or group of stitches to its new destination onthe opposing bed. Racking more than one to two needles of half-gaugedouble-bed fabric (the width of the selected loop itself and itsadjacent empty neighbor needle) risks ripping out the stitches andpotentially destroying the needle hooks themselves.

Current uppers that are knitted to shape integrate stitch elements.These integrated stitch elements are typically double bed knittingstructures configured as single-layer structures integrated into themain body of an upper, using traditional knitting techniques borrowedfrom knitted apparel industry. These traditional knit stitch structuresare limited by the mechanical capabilities of standard two-needle bedmachinery. As shown in FIG. 17, an upper element includes an integratedintarsia rib tongue 39, and the intarsia structure (as referenced in itsrespective loop diagram 40) is connected on each intarsia edge by a tuckjoin 41. Each intarsia edge overlaps on the face of either side by asmall section of jersey or interlacing rib fabric structure.

Similarly, a racked intarsia rib structure 41 (intarsia tuck join) alsocreates a single layer fabric. Each side of a three field intarsia ribstructure 43 is fashioned-in 43 (a rack intarsia jersey sequence loopdiagram), depositing the loops from one side on top of the tongue(instep) fabric by racking (shifting) one-needle bed of the two-needlebed V-bed knitting machine, transferring the loops of the rib layout tothe front bed in the instep and the rear bed for the side intarsiafields, and then depositing the loops sequentially from one side andthen the other, onto the static central tongue fabric structure, andthen returning the loops to the rib layout. As shown by the rackedintarsia jersey rib structure 42, this knitting technique uses threefields of intarsia and a rib layout to overlap knitted structures intoone another, by leaving empty needle spaces and then transferring loopsinto the empty spaces in the adjacent intarsia field, joining them inthe next knitting sequence with a with a physical tuck join 41. Thewidth of the overlapping intarsia join area is limited to the maximummechanical reach of the racking wheel on the V-bed knitting machine (twoinches in either direction, twenty-eight needles total on a 14-gaugemachine. These fashioned-in overlapping structures 39 and 42 created onthe two needle bed V-bed knitting machines must be transferred intojersey (single bed) structures 43 or knitted as half-gauge (1×1 rib)double-bed structures, knitting every other needle on opposing beds, ora half-gauge tube, also FIG. 16, in order to allow for the manipulationof the loops, transferring them systematically in the course of severaltraverses of the machine, into empty opposing needles, until thestructure is shifted to its final destination 37.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, an insert of one ormore independent constructions is implemented into the unitary knittedstructure of a footwear upper, utilizing a four-needle bed technology.The four-needle bed technology allows for the insertion of one or morestructures to be input flush and/or overlapping, vertically,horizontally, or diagonally into a main body structure. The limit of aninserted structure is the width of the available needle bed. On afourteen-gauge (fourteen needles per inch) machine, with fifty-inchneedle wide beds, this insertion and/or overlap limitation can be nearlyseven-hundred needles.

FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary shoe upper with multiple appendagestructures and layer portions resulting from an integrated knittingprocess in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Theinsert could be the entire width of an upper, or the length of a bootshaft if knitted turned cloth. As shown, the insert 44 may have anintarsia element 45 and/or a texture 46. The insert may combine otherappendages, for example a live hinge 47 and an insole or a Stobel liner48. Attached to the Stobel insert may be another live hinge attached toan appendage tongue 49. Attached to the toe area may be an appendageliner 50, perhaps of Kevlar, with an additional side flap appendage ofadditional Kevlar or other reinforcement material. The knitting machineknits these in an integrated and continuous knitting process, e.g.,starting from the heel area of reinforcement liner 50, then thereinforcement flaps, then the toe area of the reinforcement liner. Asmall waste section, a live hinge or a strand, connects thereinforcement liner to the main body of the upper 52. The machine thenknits the appendage tongue 49 with a spacer or terry loop cushionconfiguration 53, a live hinge, the insole, a bottom liner, or a Stobelliner 48, another live hinge 47, and then the inserts heel 44 with theintarsia element 45, including the texture 46, and finally the terryloop cushion structure 53. The machine then manipulates the heel insertinto place as defined for the final product, attaching it to the mainbody of the upper. To be ready for the unitary construction for the shoemaking process, the flaps are folded to the reinforcement liner, theliner is pushed into the main body of the upper. The appendage tongue isfolded at the live hinge and pushed into the upper, pulling with it theinsole or Stobel liner. The upper is ready for attaching the Stobel in asewing operation beginning the process.

In one embodiment of this invention, each layer or layer portion of theunitary construction may be knitted sequentially and attached in thesame knitting process. FIG. 19 shows an exemplary multi-layer upperassembly resulting from a knitting process in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. The knitted assembly has anintarsia structure and a jacquard application of adhesive knitted incorresponding layers. For example the knitting process is sequential andstarts from knitting a configured tongue structure 49, and proceeds toknit a live hinge waste section 47, and to knit a monofilamentperformance layer 54, and to knit a shaped dynamic waste section 55,then to knit the outer layer 56 of the upper assembly. A complexintarsia is thus created as a knit design with an adhesive applied in apositive jacquard design 57 on the reverse side (technical back 2). Theintarsia layer 58 is attached to a sacrificial section that acts like alive hinge 47, connecting to a seamless Kevlar protective layer (aseamless Kevlar layer with heel insert 59), having pointelle ventilation60, and an inserted heel structure 44.

Each layer may have a specific performance focus, without beingrestricted by competing knitting techniques, the mechanical limitationsof machinery attempting to knit two or more complex structuressimultaneously, or the restrictions of material characteristics ofadjacent layers or layer portions, which may have physical propertiesthat are dynamically opposed. In the example in FIG. 19, a complexintarsia layer 58 may require all the available knitting systems, witheach knitting system dedicated to specific intarsia feeders. Anotherlayer portion may be all Kevlar shaped in a seamless unitaryconstruction 59, with differing textures that are anatomically mappedaround the front of the foot for protection, and having an inserted heelgrain 27 different than the main body grain 28 for anatomical comfort,but also having some of the areas of the layer configured with pointellemesh 60 for ventilation.

Pointelle mesh 60 requires transferring loops. Knitting cannotmechanically occur in a system that is in the state of transferring.Therefore, that system in transferring is not available for adding loopstructure. Additionally, a needle bed racks (moves) one or more needlepositions, as previously described, to transfer (shift) one or moreloops to an opposing needle bed to create the ventilation hole.Typically, in the time of racking a needle bed, no loops are added tothe length of the fabric and the machine stroke is dedicated solely totransferring of loops. This is otherwise known as an empty row, meaningno loops are added. The more empty rows in a fabric structure, thelonger the fabric takes to produce (less productive). Additionally, somematerials, such as Kevlar have extremely limited stretch capabilities totransfer or manipulate loops, whereas wool or polyester, which iscommonly used in shoe uppers, may stretch several needles wide with noproblems. Combining a stretch resistant material with a material thatdoes stretch in two simultaneously knitted structures requires theproduct design and machine movements to be restricted by the materialwith the least stretch, or otherwise risk fabric failure and in the caseof a material such as Kevlar, damage to the machine.

Knitting separate layers of some materials has advantages. The seamlessKevlar layer 59 in the example FIG. 19 may also have an adhesivematerial 61 plaited into the face adjacent to the intarsia layer in apositive jacquard 62 pattern (half). The intarsia layer 58 has thenegative (opposite) jacquard plaiting design 63 of adhesive. Theintarsia layer 58 and the seamless Kevlar layer 59 with a pointelleportion 60 have the opposing designs of adhesive material that dove tailtogether, and are both knitted as individual layers. This allows themachine to efficiently complete each layers' type of fabric in the mostefficient way, using all available knitting systems for each, increasingproductivity. The resulting upper construction benefits from bothstructures, while creating the structure densities as light or heavilypopulated with stitches as each fabrication requires for its specificperformance requirements. The intarsia layer 58 may be an aestheticelement of the completed shoe, and the seamless Kevlar layer 59 may be afunctional safety element of the completed shoe.

The intarsia layer 58 is attached to the Kevlar protective unitaryconstructed Kevlar layer 59 with a live hinge structure 47. Similarly,another performance layer, for example a transparent monofilament layer54, may also be knitted-attached to the end of the intarsia layer 58,with a dynamic waste section 55 that is configured to fit both the endof the intarsia layer and the end of the monofilament layer. A tonguelayer portion 49 is knitted at the tip of the performance layer 54, alsowith a live hinge 47 waste section separating them. The Monofilamentlayer 54 is folded onto the intarsia layer 58 and the two layers areseamed at the heel. The seamed monofilament 54 intarsia 57 assembly isfolded on top of the seamless Kevlar layer 59, and the tongue 47 isfolded inside the seamless Kevlar layer 59, origami style. The assemblyis then ready for the shoe making process as a unit. When combined, andthe facing jacquards of thermal adhesive 61 of the intarsia layer 58 andthe seamless Kevlar layer 59 are activated by heat or steam. Themirroring jacquard layout of the adhesive 61 provides that the layers donot separate and function as a unit, while only enough adhesive isutilized not to overpower the upper structure with too much adhesive(fusible) material.

Specialized materials may be utilized to create a support orreinforcement layer. Unlike common textile materials, such as wool,cotton, polyester and other traditional strands, introducing materialstrands such as chain, wire, or other materials to a standard OEMknitting machine causes several challenges. Current methods of knittingcarbon fiber and other fiber reinforcing textiles, integrating stainlesssteel, wire, heating elements, chain, or other stiff fibers, posechallenges to the “depackaging” and feeding of those materials into aconventional knitting machine utilizing standard OEM stop motions andstandard OEM feeders. FIG. 20 shows a standard stop motion assembly on aknitting machine. Standard stop motions which are mounted on a stock OEMbar 16 above the needle beds, have built in manual tensioning controls64. The stock OEM bar 34 has an electronic cable 36 inside a groove,which connects each stop motion to the machine's main computer controlsystem. A yarn strand or a stiff material strand 3 must bend severaltimes through multiple right, obtuse, and acute angles as it passesthrough these standard OEM fittings, tensioning devices, and guides 17,causing a significant amount of friction, breakage of fiber, excessivewear on the machine parts, drag of fiber slowing down production, andmany other complications. Stiff materials, wire, silicon, auxetic yarns,and many other materials are typically packaged on a spool 65, acylinder, or a cone 9, all of which when stood on an end, deployingmaterial, cause the material to balloon on itself and spiral into acoil. After several revolutions, the spiraling process creates agraduated spring in the fabric and in the slack strand, which isundesirable in and of itself. A strand twisting upon itself causes fiberbreakage, excess friction and abrasion on the machine parts that touchthe fibers, and finally breaking of the strand itself, when it can nolonger continue twist upon itself. Breakage can usually not be mended onthe strand and/or the fabric growing in the machine, and results inwaste scrap, production down time, damaged product, frequently damagedmachine parts (needles, stop motions, knock over verges, sinkers,sinker, wires and other costly machine parts). Currently, the onlyalternative is using one of two devices from a machine builder,depending on which machine type the user is utilizing. Machine builderssuch as Shima Seiki of Japan, and H. Stoll AG & Co. KG of ReutlingenGermany have created unspooling devices to address such “de-packaging”or unspooling of materials on spools, cones, and cylinders which posesuch problems. Both companies have large unspooling devices mounted onthe floor or beside a machine, which feed a limit of two of thesematerials into a knitting machine. Simple products using one or twostrand feeds, fed into a standard knitting machine are possible, usingexpensive additional unspooling equipment available from knittingmachine manufacturers.

However, knitting a more complex structure, using more than two strandfeeds on standard machine builder equipment is not possible. To createmore complex structures, such as that required to create a performancelayer or layer portion in an article of footwear, an automaticunspooling device may be required to unspool carbon fiber, Kevlar,Nomex, certain monofilaments, braids, silicon, high heat resistantceramics, vitreous silica fibers, thermo coupling wires, metal, braids,aramids, para aramids, auxetic, fiber optic, adhesive materials, thermoplastic material, elastic, ligamental, and other specialized materialsto enhance the performance of a shoe. FIG. 21 shows a side view of aknitting machine with a plurality of spools and cones. One or aplurality of unspooling devices 66 may be mounted on one knittingmachine to drive a plurality of strands of carbon fiber, wire, or otherspecial material strands off one or a plurality of spools 65, cones 9 orother packages, in coordination with the movement of the knittingmachine's feeder system 10.

A weft knit warp feed system allows for integration of one or morestands, horizontally, vertically, and diagonally into the body of a basefabrication, onto one technical face and/or the other face, or on theinterior of single or a multi-component, multi-layered structure byknitting, inlaying, floating, and tucking one or more strands. Theeffect of strand/orientation on footwear upper material properties is animportant factor in the strategic design of the shoe making process andalso the resultant performance and aesthetics of article of footwear.

The material moving along the feed rails 11, and the pulled yarnknitting a plurality courses result in production of rows of fabric 4,which are shaped by the pattern program in the knitting machine memory,into a series of completely finished knitted layers of the upper, eachlayer being a unitary construction. Particularly, the knitted layershave finished edges and therefore do not need cutting and sewing to formthe footwear upper.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, several materialssuch as auxetic or reinforcing materials may be unspooled and positionedinto one or more layers, layer portions, components, and/or plies. FIG.22 shows an exemplary weft knit warp layered functional upper assemblyresulting from an integrated knitting process in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. An example of adding rigidity isadding aramids and para-aramid materials, which may be inlaid in theknit structure, reinforcing one or more zones horizontally or verticallyas a weft knit warp structure. Spreading performance strands such asreinforcing yarns 67 in thin geometric and anatomically arrangedpositions by inlaying these strands together within a main body knittedfabric (e.g., weft knit warp layer 68 in FIG. 21) allowsultra-lightweight fabrics to be knitted with these performance strandsaligning fiber for extra strength, ligamental strength, and/or otherperformance characteristics where needed. Inlaying multiple strands hasseveral benefits, including creating a desirable mechanical performance,while reducing the amount of excess material in the upper.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, performance strandsmay be integrated as weft knit warp strands into a footwear upperlayers, layer portions, components, and/or plies, horizontally,vertically, and diagonally by any combination of knitting, inlaying,floating, and tucking. Stiff performance strands may be integrated byutilizing the unspooling feed system (66 in FIG. 21). FIG. 21 shows thearrangement of multiple spool devices on an exemplary knitting machinein accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Performance strand materials may be anatomically, mathematically andproportionally arranged to hold a foot in motion to a sole. They may beincorporated as weft knit warp structures, where a stand is inserted.Impact easing strands such as auxetic, silicon, and elastic materialsmay also be integrated by utilizing the unspooling feed system to easeany impact of motion as in running, jumping or sliding. In someembodiments, a three-dimensional V-bed knitting process creates multiplestructures in the same panel structure and utilizes various materialsstrategically, and/or mathematically and proportionally, placed forspecific characteristics to improve the shoe manufacturing processand/or function of the resultant shoe, such as materials to add strengthto specific areas, temporary supporting sacrificial material thatdisappears in the shoe making process, elasticated material that createsflex joins or live hinges 47 in the knit structure, material thatexpands 70 with the addition of heat and/or steam to support structures,shape memory material, vibration dampening material such as auxeticyarns, materials that create clean edges around voids or create cavitiesof reinforced shape, dimension, and positioning in the resultant shoestructure 71 for housing inserted components; materials strategicallyplaced to shield RF or EF; and electronic cables and/or thermo couplingwires that permanently situate connection spots in the resultant shoeupper ready for post process hard ware components such as electronics,solar elements, power sources, GPS, RFID, cameras, controls, speakers,screens, monitors, or other devices.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the knitting machinemay utilize a knit program to incorporate one or more pocket structures69 knit into one or more layers, layer portions, components, and/orplies, where a component is inserted in an post process or between theneedle beds of the knitting machine and into the pocket during theknitting process, manually or robotically; the knitting machine thencontinuing and sealing the component into the knit structure. Thecomponent may be any component, for example an electronic component, anRFID sensor, a ballistic plate, a foam, computer chip, a printed circuitboard, a battery, or other component. The pocket may be completelyclosed or have an opening, void, flap, or other structure allowingaccess to the embedded component. An element may be created in a shoeupper in two or more components, where a portion of component 72 isattached to one layer and another portion 73 is incorporated into one ormore layers. When layers, layer portions, components, and/or plies aregathered, folded, or plied together the assembly creates a wholefunctional component. In FIG. 22, half of a terry looped cushionstructure 72 is incorporated into a reinforcing layer, and anotherportion 73 of the terry loop cushion layer is incorporated into anappendage tongue structure 49. It's important to the stability of thetongue and the reinforcement layer that this assembly be joined togetherto stop the tongue from sliding around in a completed shoe, and for thereinforcement layer to remain stable and in place in the finished shoeupper.

Support fibers may be knitted, which expand when exposed to heat orsteam, creating dimension, insulation, further reinforcement, and/orincreased stitch density. Density of fibers may be manipulated by themachine into zones, and created in a gradient, latticed, layered, weftknit warp insertion or any combination of knit structures. Thecomputer-controlled knitting machine consistently and repeatedlymanufactures the same fiber reinforcing parts for as many and as few asdesired. A weft knit warp insertion is a structural element or group ofelements knitted into one or more layers, layer portions, components,and/or plies, and arranged for enhancing performance characteristics ofa shoe construction by anatomically, mathematically and proportionallypositioning strands that travel in multiple directions.

FIG. 23 demonstrates an exemplary upper assembly with a functionalinterior liner resulting from an integrated knitting process inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example,the interior liner may have a moisture wicking base fabric 74 and apercentage of TPU yarn. If knitted on a multi-gauge V-bed knittingmachine, this layer's stitch density (from half gauge knitting 31) maybe half as dense as the mirroring attached outer layer's fabric toreduce weight, create ventilation, and allow the TPU yarns to meltcreating an adhesive, holding the assembly together. The pocket area 69in the heel can receive an insert component. The outer layer may be amore dense material construction for aesthetic and functional purposes.

A group of weft knit warp strands 75 traverse multi-directionally as agroup arranged anatomically mathematically and proportionally from thetoe dart through the mid foot, medial and lateral ankle areas to theheel of the second layer. The two layers are attached by a dynamic wastesection 55. The two layers when pressed together like a “clam,”assembled and heated in the shoe making process create a strong lightweight shoe upper (e.g., the weft knit warp strand finished upperassembly 87) that is also comfortable.

FIG. 24 shows an exemplary shoe upper assembly with reinforcing weftknit warp strands traversing in separate directions as a result of anintegrated knitting process in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. In FIG. 24, eight individual weft knit warp strands76 (A through H) travel multi-directionally, but separately, arrangedanatomically mathematically and proportionally from the toe dart throughthe mid foot, medial and lateral ankle areas to the heel of the secondlayer. This weft knit warp arrangement may for example help preventankle rollover for side-to-side lateral sports movements. The basematerial in this layer may be a polyester strand plaited on the reverseface with a low temperature melt polymer, such as PPS(Polyphenylenesulfide), which, when heated, the PPS stitches blendtogether on the back of the fabric creating a barrier to liquids. Thetwo layers are attached in the knitting process by a dynamic wastesection 55. The two layers when pressed together, assembled and heatedin the shoe making process create a strong light weight shoe upper thatis also comfortable. The interior liner has a moisture wicking basefabric 74 and a percentage of TPU yarn. When plied together, theassembly results in a strong upper with reinforcement to assist in ankleroll over (e.g., weft knit warp strand finished upper assembly 88 withanti-roll over strands in multiple directions).

The double layer assembly layout is versatile and is configured in adifferent way, where the layer based materials could be switched and thelayer with the weft knit warp strands is placed on the interior of theshoe where it's not visible to the wearer, optionally with somepointelle holes for ventilation. The other layer may contain the TPU andpolyester, the polyester arranged in an aesthetic design optionallyincluding jacquard, texture, welt, intarsia, or any combination ofaesthetic or functional elements. In this example there are eightstrands (A through H) however, there may be as many strands as themachine systems will allow.

FIG. 25 shows an exemplary upper assembly with a lattice structure as aresult of an integrated knitting process in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 25 demonstrates anotherembodiment of a bi-layer assembly, where the layers are knitted toe totoe, attached by a live hinge 47. The underlayer may contain pockets forinserts 69, with a base layer of aesthetic elements 78. The upper layer80, which will be placed on top of the assembly, may have differentmaterials and/or aesthetic elements. Those elements may includeapertures created with transparent, fusible, or thin yarns and/or voids79 where there is no fabric. The layers, when folded together and heatedin the shoe assembly process, reveal the underlayer elements through thevoids of the finished upper layer 86.

FIG. 26 shows an exemplary upper assembly with multiple component stripswith tabs knitted turned cloth resulting from an integrated knittingprocess in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Thelayers each have an individual function. A first layer portion 84 may beknitted as a turned cloth strip shaped layer with short row darts 81 andmay have appendages, such as knit tabs 82 to hold a lace or cordstrategically placed to coordinate with a second strip 85, attached by adynamic waste section 55, to the first strip. The second turned clothstrip 85 may also be knitted with short row darts 81, and also which mayhave appendage tabs 82 that coordinate with both the first shaped strip84, and an underlayer 78 with an aesthetic or functional element andperhaps an adhesive strand and/or thermoplastic material such as TPU isalso knit into the element.

The second strip is also strategically attached in the knitting processto the under layer 78 by a dynamic waste section 55 at the point thesecond strip may be gathered and wrapped around the under layer, andnext the first strip is gathered wrapped around the assembly alsomeeting at the heel. Both strips may be attached when the heel seam issewn, and the dynamic waste discarded. A bottom liner is attached to theassembly. When pressed together, the layers and layer portions form afunctional upper (e.g., an assembled shoe 83 with multiple gatheredstructures), where the coordinated tabs hold a lace or cord in amathematically and anatomically arranged position.

A tab may be knitted in various constructions, including for examplewith a tube on the end of the tab used to thread a strand, cable, braid,cord or other material. In another example, a tab may be knitted as asingle layer tab, folded in a later process and sewn, welded, glued,embroidered, or otherwise attached to itself to create a tube to threada strand, cable, braid, cord or other material.

In some embodiments of this invention, an upper assembly may havelayers, layer portions, components, and/or plies with selectedstructures that align, rather than all. FIG. 27 shows an exemplary upperassembly with aligned layers resulting from an integrated knittingprocess in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Theconstruction has an interior layer 89 which may be of a strategicmaterial function type and also incorporate an aesthetic element, suchas a microfiber, e.g., in a neon color attached by a dynamic wastesection 55 to an outer layer 90. The outer layer has a multifunctionalstructure. The functions may include a surface design jacquard, texture,intarsia, or color interest, a pocket 69 for inserting a component, anexpandable material in a terry loop cushion structure 70, and apointelle mesh 60 for ventilation. The pointelle mesh on the outer layer90 corresponds to the pointelle mesh 60 on the interior layer forperhaps two purposes: first to provide uninhibited ventilation from theinside to the outside of the shoe, and second, to provide a contrastcolor, peaking through the outside layer 90 from the interior layer 89.The interior layer 89 only has the common shape and pointelle mesh withthe outside layer. One or more layers may be knitted with a decorativepattern, such as a registration trademark, or any other pattern.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a bottom layer may havemultiple functions, including functional knit structures, such asstandard English or French welt 91 structures, pockets, channels, terryloop cushion structure, and etc. FIG. 28 shows an exemplary upperassembly with a seamless upper portion revealing an under-layer functionresulting from an integrated knitting process in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. The underlayer 94 may also havediffering edges 95 from the upper layer, including a full rib collar 92for comfort or other structure for function or aesthetics (93 shows aportion of a rib collar). The exterior portion of the assembly may be alayer portion created with an insert 44 at the heel, upper cutout edge95 exposing the ankle under structure, lower cut out edge 97 exposingthe welts 91 creating a seamless structure as a portion of a layer 96,and having pointelle mesh 60, which are ventilation holes, exposingportions the under layer. The remainder of the seamless outer layer 96may have color and/or jacquard, texture, and/or intarsia aestheticinterest. The entire assembly is finished into an upper displaying bothinner and outer functions and contrasts 98.

The machine computer control system may have a memory storing a programthat can control automatically knitting multiple substantially identicallayers of fully finished three-dimensionally knitted footwear upper,each layer individually produced in a sequential production manner. Eachsubsequent upper layer is linked to the preceding layer, or daisychained together with a strand of material. The strand of material maybe a thermos plastic fiber that, when heat or steam is applied, thematerial dissolves and/or evaporates, and so the upper materialsseparate from any waste or connecting strands. The layer forms may becorresponding mirrored shapes knitted opposing each other, or connectedtoe-to-toe with live hinge as in FIG. 25 or heel to heel with a dynamicwaste section as in FIG. 27, or attached sequentially as in FIG. 22. Allconfigurations create knitted component layers, layer portion,appendages, and/or ply structures that when gathered, folded and/orplied together, and any waste removed, the pieces create a full footwearupper, ready for the following shoe making process.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure a V-bedthree-dimensional integrated knitting process may create multiplestructures in the same layers, layer portion, appendage component,and/or ply with specific structures or combinations of differingconstructions, varying thicknesses, and varying materials whererequired. An upper assembly may include many varied structures includingbut not limited to appendages, voids, short row darts, inserts, pockets,ventilation, sub structures, super structures, and liners. All layers,layer portions, appendages components, and/or plies may be knitted inthe same knitting process. The machine may short row dart or insertfabric structures together in desired strategic angles. Each upperassembly structure may have several components which may be knitted inorder or partially at different times, depending on construction.Appendages, liners, and/or dimensional reinforcement constructions maybe perpendicular or aligned to the grain of the main body structure.

An upper assembly structure may be a solitary material structure, or itmay have two or more fields of intarsia. FIG. 29 shows an exemplaryintarsia structure generated in a knitting process in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. In intarsia, a material knitssolely in one field but not others. Or a material may knit in somefields, but not all. A field may be inset, surrounded on all sides byone or more fields, or it may extend the length of the panel. There maybe two intarsia fields in a layers, layer portion, appendage component,and/or ply or as many as knitting feeders allow. The fields are joinedby a knitted, tucked or transferred stitch. One or more edges of eachfield may be straight or irregularly shaped. One or more edges of alayers, layer portion, appendage component, and/or ply may be straightor irregularly shaped.

FIG. 30 shows an exemplary weft knit warp insert and spacer structure,each generated in an integrated knitting process, in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. The fabric structure, e.g., aspacer fabric 101, has a face fabric structure 98 and a rear fabricstructure 99. The two structures are connected together by a series oftuck X's or V's of an internal material 100. The spacer 101 may havedifferent properties on the face fabric from the rear fabric. Theinternal material may have a different property entirely form the othertwo materials, or may be a combination of materials having a specificperformance characteristic, when combined. One or more parts of thespacer may contain fields of intarsia, with each intarsia materialhaving differing colors or properties.

As previously described, a knitted upper assembly may itself haveadditional reinforcing structures, auxetic, aesthetic, or other insertedmaterials in one or more layers, layer portions, appendages components,and/or plies. These may be in the form a weft knit warped materialinserted vertically, horizontally, and diagonally into a fabric panel ora horizontal inlay. The weft knit warp may knit, tuck, and/or inlay inany combination of stitch structures in one or more layers, layerportions, appendages components, and/or pies. They may be insertedseparately as in FIG. 24 or work together as a group, as in FIG. 23.

FIG. 30 shows an exemplary spacer and weft knit warp structuresresulting from an integrated knitting process in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 30 demonstrates that one ormore weft knit warp materials may be inserted in one or more layers,layer portions, appendage components, and/or plies asymmetrically 102.Two groups of one or more weft knit warp strands may be used fordiffering structures. Two or more groups of one or more weft knit warpstrands may overlap, forming dynamic structures. Two warp structures maytravel in different patterns (e.g., 78 and 79 in a panel in FIG. 25).Spacers, pockets, and/or terry loop cushion structures may take adesired shape in one or more layers, layer portions, appendagecomponents, and/or plies. Each layers, layer portion, appendagecomponent, and/or ply may correspond to one or more other componentlayouts in the upper assembly. Weft knit warp structures may take adesired trajectory in one or more layers, layer portions, appendagecomponents, and/or plies. Each warp knit weft structure incorporatedinto a layer, layer portion, appendage component, and/or ply maycorrespond to one or more other component layouts in the upper assembly.In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 25, a layer utilizes a warpintegration, where strands of specialized material are integrated by themachine, e.g., in a vertical direction. The layer may be aesthetic,covering all or a portion of a polymer reinforcing fiber layer, or itmay be utilized as an underlayer, or the warp may add additionalmaterials with desired characteristics to a layer. The warp process mayinterloop strands in one or more directions, and in one or more knittingtechniques as it travels through the fabric structure, for examples:knit, tuck, inlay, float (pass), plait. Additional ligamental-likestretch or reinforcing fibers such as silicon rubber extrusion or anauxetic strand may be configured aesthetically, or anatomically inintarsia zones of the upper, liner, and/or a component, for example toassist in flexing in the toe area while providing ankle roll overprevention, by adding extra stiffness to one or more areas of theupper's sides, as shown in FIG. 24. One or more additional siliconrubber, auxetic, or aramid reinforcing strands may be applied tospecific areas of an upper, liner, and/or component to vary the amountof stiffness, flexion, or resilience desired. The positions of the extrastrands may also be configured proportionally by size and intended useto map the foot action of the anticipated use such as side to sidelateral movements, repeated flexion, quick pivots, starts, and stops.These materials may knit or float, horizontally, diagonally, verticallyor in any combination of directions, with all strands continuing in thesame direction of each feeder tip.

The feeders in the knitting machine may do this is several ways: 1)intarsia of extra material; 2) adding plaiting of extra material to aspecific zone; 3) inlay of one or more additional material strandshorizontally, vertically, diagonally or combinations of directions foreach strand. In some embodiments, one or more strands may be guided intothe upper in the warp direction. The strands may knit, tuck, inlay orfloat vertically, horizontally, and/or diagonally as the design orfunction of the upper requires.

The warp strands may act as a reinforcing group, adding additionalstrength; may be an insulated conductive assembly, ready to be coupledto electronic connectors and components; may be a prementioned heatresistant elasticizing material such as a silicon extrusion, adding aligamental stretch and recovery effect; or other specific performancematerials to add desired characteristics to one or more zones of thethree-dimensional fully-shaped footwear upper. An example of this is asoccer boot requiring lateral and slide restrictions on the uppermaterial to maintain the ankle from rolling over and the foot fromsliding off the sole.

FIG. 31 shows an exemplary seamless shoe upper with a heel insertstructure 44 resulting from an integrated knitting process in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure. Attached to the heel issole appendage attachment 105 with further toe wrap appendage 106. Thesole structure has raised dimensional structures 107 arrangedproportionally for contact with a floor surface. These raiseddimensional structures may be formed in various ways, including spacer,welt, terry loop, jersey tabs the naturally curl on themselves, tubularstructure the dimension of the sole structure with internal tacks to thebase of the sole material, or any combination of structures. Each layer,layer portion, appendage component, and/or ply may have variousconfigurations of aesthetic and functional materials and structures.

Warp knit weft strands may be inserted into a fabric by an unspoolingdevice. These unspooled materials may include but are not limited to onestrand and/or any combination of strands of conductive wires, silicon,fiber optics, carbon fiber, aramids, para-aramids, braid, chain, wire,thermo-coupling wire, adhesives, thermo plastic materials, or otherfiber reinforcing materials to become one or more parts of one or morelayers, layer portions, appendage components, and/or plies of a upperassembly.

In some embodiments, an attached layer, layer portion, appendagecomponent, and/or ply may be used for embedding thermally conductivematerial, which might be utilized for heating elements. The strand orgroup of strands of material may be inlaid and/or knitted; if inlaid, itmay pass between the legs of loop structures (see FIG. 7), of a knittedstructure such as, a jersey 22, double bed 23, spacer, 101; it may passinside a tunnel, channel, or three-dimensional raised structure; or itmay be embedded into a structure with a series of knit loops, tuckingloops, missed loops, or transfers. The strand or group of strands ofmaterial may be guided horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, or anycombination of directions on an X, Y, Z directional plane. The upperassembly construction may be a single layer or a multiple layerconfiguration.

The construction may also have fully-shaped appendage elements and/orliner areas, where the entire construction and/or component iscompletely fashioned to shape by the machinery, with no cutting of thecomponent layers, layer portions, appendage components, sub layers,and/or plies. There is no need for a separate sub-assembly process orsewing application. The material would be incorporated consistently bythe machine, and the integration repeated automatically in production bythe machine's pre-programmed system.

In some embodiments, one or more attached layers, layer portions,appendage components, and/or plies may be used for embedding datatransmitting cable and/or components, which might be utilized for smarttextile and/or e-textile elements. The strand or group of strands ofcable material may be inlaid and/or knitted; if inlaid, it may passbetween the legs of loop structures of a knitted structure such as, ajersey FIG. 7, double bed 23, spacer 101; it may pass inside a tunnel,channel, or three-dimensional raised structure; or it may be embeddedinto a structure with a series of knit loops, tucking loops, missedloops, or transfers. The strand or group of strands of cable materialmay be guided horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, or anycombination of directions on an X, Y, Z directional plane grid as a weftknit warp structure. The knitted construction may have a seamless singlelayer or a multiple layer assembly configuration. The construction mayalso have fully-shaped appendage elements and/or liner areas receivingany unspooled materials, where the entire construction and/or componentis a seamless shape by the machinery, with no cutting, no sewing, and notrimming of the component or component layers. There may be an adhesive,TPU, or thermo plastic material knitted and/or plaited onto on the faceand/or reverse sides of adjacent layers, layer portions, appendagecomponents, and/or pies

When heat and/or steam is applied, the embedding data transmitting cableand/or component is fixed in place. There is no need for a separatesub-assembly process or sewing application. Both the embedded datatransmitting cable and/or component and the adhesive material would beincorporated consistently, and the integration repeated automatically inproduction by control of a software program.

In some embodiments, one or more layers, layer portions, appendagecomponents, and/or plies may be used for embedding energy transmittingwire, which might be utilized for smart textile wiring connected todevices such as sensors and/or e-textile elements requiring connectors.The strand or group of strands of energy transmitting material may beinlaid and/or knitted; if inlaid, may pass between the legs of loopstructures of a knitted structure such as, a jersey FIG. 7, double bed23, spacer 101; it may pass inside a tunnel, channel, orthree-dimensional raised structure; or it may be embedded into astructure with a series of knit loops, tucking loops, missed loops, ortransfers. The cable material may be guided horizontally, vertically, ordiagonally, or any combination of directions on an X, Y, Z directionalplane grid as a a weft knit warp structure. The knitted construction mayhave a seamless single layer or a multiple layer assembly configuration.The construction may also have one or more fully-shaped layer, layerportion, appendage component, and/or ply elements and/or liner areasreceiving the unspooled materials, where the entire constructionassembly is completely fashioned to shape by the machinery, with nocutting of the component or component layers, layer portions, appendagecomponents, and/or plies. There may be an adhesive, TPU, orthermoplastic material knitted and/or plaited onto on the face and/orreverse sides of adjacent layers, layer portions, appendage components,and/or plies. When heat and/or steam is applied, the energy transmittingcable and/or component is fixed in place.

There is no need for a separate sub-assembly process or sewingapplication. Both the embedding data transmitting cable and/or componentand the adhesive, TPU and/or thermoplastic material would beincorporated consistently, and the integration repeated automatically inproduction by the machine's pre-programmed system.

In some embodiments, one or more knitted layers, layer portions,appendage components, and/or plies may be used for integration of shapechanging and/or stretch memory and/or shape memory wire, such as NiTinol(nickel titanium alloy) or other performance alloys, which might beutilized for transformation textile applications. The strand or group ofstrands of shape changing material may be inlaid and/or knitted, ifinlaid, may be passed between the legs of loop structures of a knittedstructure such as, a jersey FIG. 7, double bed 23, spacer 101; may bepassed inside a tunnel, channel, or three-dimensional raised structure;or embedded into a structure with a series of knit loops, tucking loops,missed loops, or transfers. The strand or group of strands of cablematerial may be guided horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, or anycombination of directions on an X, Y, Z directional plane grid as a weftknit warp structure. The knitted construction may have a seamless singlelayer or a multiple layer assembly configuration. The construction mayalso have fully-shaped layer, layer portion, appendage component, and/orply elements and/or liner areas receiving the shape changing materials,where the entire construction and/or component is completely fashionedto shape by the machinery, with no cutting of the component or componentlayers, layer portions, appendage components, and/or plies. There may bean adhesive, TPU, and/or thermo plastic material knitted and/or plaitedonto on the face and/or reverse sides of adjacent layers, layerportions, appendage components, and/or plies. When heat and/or steam isapplied the shape memory material is fixed in place.

There is no need for a separate sub-assembly process or sewingapplication. Both the shape memory material and the adhesive materialwould be incorporated consistently, and the integration repeatedautomatically in production by the machine's pre-programmed system.

In some embodiments, one or more knitted layers, layer portions,appendage components, and/or plies may be used for creating stretchligaments in knitted textile applications, utilizing materials such assilicon, Dupont's Hytrel, Elastane, Dupont's Lycra, natural or syntheticrubber, stretch olefin, auxetic materials or other materials withstretch and recovery properties to create compression zones and/orimpact easing zones. The strand or group of strands of material may beinlaid and/or knitted, if inlaid, it may be passed between the legs ofloop structures of a knitted structure such as, a jersey FIG. 7, doublebed 23, spacer 101; it may be passed inside a tunnel, channel, orthree-dimensional raised structure; or embedded into a structure with aseries of knit loops, tucking loops, missed loops, or transfers. Thestrand or group of strands of cable material may be guided horizontally,vertically, or diagonally, or any combination of directions on an X, Y,Z directional plane grid as a weft knit warp structure. The knittedconstruction may have a seamless single layer or a multiple layerassembly configuration. The construction may also have fully-shapedlayer, layer portion, appendage component, and/or ply elements and/orliner areas receiving the stretch and recovery ligament material, wherethe entire construction assembly and/or one or more components arecompletely fashioned to shape by the machinery, with no cutting of thecomponent or component layers. There may be an adhesive, TPU, and/orthermo plastic material knitted and/or plaited onto on the face and/orreverse sides of adjacent layers, layer portions, appendage components,and/or plies. When heat and/or steam is applied the stretch and recoverymaterial layer, layer portion, appendage component, and/or ply is fixedin place as part of a complete upper assembly ready to be assembled to asole in the shoe making process.

There is no need for a separate sub-assembly process or sewingapplication. Both the embedding data transmitting cable and/or componentand the adhesive material would be incorporated consistently, and theintegration repeated automatically in production by the machine'spre-programmed system.

In some embodiments, one or more knitted layers, layer portions,appendage components, and/or plies may be used for creating hightenacity restrictor ligaments in knitted textile applications, utilizingmaterials such as Dyneema, Kevlar, ultra-high molecular polyurethane(UHMWPE), fiber glass, carbon fiber, hemp, linen, flax, resinpre-impregnated materials, monofilaments, multi-filaments or othermaterials which limit stretch and/or provide reinforcing properties(FIG. 24). The strand or group of strands or material may be inlaidand/or knitted, if inlaid, passed between the legs of loop structures ofa knitted structure such as, a jersey (FIG. 7), double bed (FIG. 23),spacer 101; may be passed inside a tunnel, channel, or three-dimensionalraised structure; or embedded into a structure with a series of knitloops, tucking loops, missed loops, or transfers. The strand or group ofstrands of cable material may be guided horizontally, vertically, ordiagonally, or any combination of directions on an X, Y, Z directionalplane grid as a weft knit warp structure. The knitted construction mayhave a seamless single layer or a multiple layer assembly configuration.The construction may also have fully-shaped layer, layer portion,appendage component, and/or ply elements and/or liner areas receivingthe restrictive ligament material, where the entire constructionassembly and/or one or more components are completely fashioned to shapeby the machinery, with no cutting of the component or component layers,layer portions, appendage components, and/or plies. This component alsoincludes forming a tongue and/or a portion of a tongue in one or morelayers, layer portions, appendage components, and/or plies and anyremaining portions of a tongue in at least one other layer, layerportion, appendage component, and/or ply (FIG. 22). There may be anadhesive, TPU, and/or thermo plastic material knitted and/or plaitedonto on the face and/or reverse sides of adjacent layers, layerportions, appendage component, and/or plies. When heat and/or steam isapplied the restrictive ligament material layer is fixed in place aspart of a complete upper ready to be assembled to a sole in the shoemaking process.

There is no need for a separate sub-assembly process or sewingapplication. Both the embedding data transmitting cable and/or componentand the adhesive material would be incorporated consistently, and theintegration repeated automatically in production by the machine'spre-programmed system.

In some embodiments, one or more knitted layers or layer portioncomponents may be used for creating one or more structures, such as a“cage” “lattice” fabric component as one or more layers, layer portions,appendage components, and/or plies in an upper assembly; each “cage”and/or “lattices” structure having one or more apertures or voids 79plied on top of one or more base layer structures, FIG. 25. Eachaperture and/or void 79 having finished sides, edges and branches,framing the aperture and/or void structure. The entire upper assemblyresponds as a unit.

In some embodiments, one or more knitted layers, layer portions,appendage components, and/or plies may be differing in structure and/orconfiguration, and/or gauge 31. The entire upper unit may be made of twoor more layers having differing geometry, and/or function, and/oraesthetic elements, and/or stitch density FIG. 23.

In some embodiments, one or more knitted layers, layer portions,appendage components, and/or plies may be used for creating a barrier,such as a water resistant and/or waterproof liner plied on top orbeneath of one or more base layer structures, FIG. 24. Heat is appliedto the thermoplastic polymer, such as a PPS polymer. When heat isapplied the polymer becomes semi-fluid and still resembles a knittedstructure, although the pores in the knit have closed, and the materialremains flexible. The entire layer, layer portion, appendage component,and/or ply responds as a unit, providing a degree of water resistanceand/or water proofing, depending on the shoe assembly method and theother footwear component.

In some embodiments, one or more knitted layers, layer portions,appendage components, and/or plies may have one or more similar and/orcorresponding structures situated in matching areas on one or multiplelayers, layer portions, appendage components, and/or plies. Forinstance, ventilation areas. The holes for the ventilation may beimplemented in the same areas on one or more layers. The entire upperunit functions with ventilation geometry (FIG. 27).

In some embodiments, one or more knitted layers, layer portion,appendage component, and/or plies may be embedded with one or moreelements of weft knit warp textile structures as a single strand and/ora group strand application, utilizing one or more types of materialsincluding the aforementioned, restrictive ligaments, stretch andrecovery ligaments, NiTinol, metal wire elements, conductive materials,energy transmitting materials, fiber optic materials and materials withother properties. The material may be inlaid, floated and/or knitted;the strand or group of strands may be incorporated into one or morestructures such as: tunnel, channel, or three-dimensional raisedstructure; the strand/or group of strands may form one or more embeddedstructures with a series of knit loops, tucking loops, missed loops, ortransfers. The weft knit warp material may be guided horizontally,vertically, or diagonally, or any combination of directions on an X, Y,Z directional plane grid. The knitted construction may have a singlelayer or a multiple layer, layer portion, appendage component, and/orply configuration. The construction may also have one or morefully-shaped layers, layer portions, appendage components, and/or pliedelements and/or liner areas receiving the weft knit warp material, wherethe entire construction and/or upper assembly is completely fashioned toshape by the machinery, with no cutting of the component or componentlayers, layer portions, appendage components, and/or plies. There may bean adhesive, TPU, and/or thermo plastic material knitted and/or plaitedwith the weft knit warp structure onto on the face and/or reverse sidesof adjacent layers, layer portions, appendage components, and/or plies.There may be a restrictive ligament material knitted and/or inlaid withas a weft knit warp structure onto on the face and/or reverse sides ofone or more layers, layer portions, appendage components, and/or plies.When plied gathered, or folded together, the upper assembly is fixed inplace as part of a complete upper ready to be assembled to a sole in theshoe making process.

There may be a stretch and recovery ligament material knitted and/orinlaid as a weft knit warp structure onto on the face and/or reversesides of adjacent layers, layer portions, appendage components, and/orplies, forming compression and/or amplified stretch zones. When plied,gathered, and/or folded together, the upper assembly is fixed in placeas part of a complete upper ready to be assembled to a sole in the shoemaking process.

There is no need for a separate sub-assembly process or sewingapplication. Both the stretch and recovery ligament material and anycomponent and the adhesive, TPU, and/or thermo plastic material would beincorporated consistently, and the integration repeated automatically inproduction by the machine's pre-programmed system.

In some embodiments, the knitting machine, or other automated footwearassembly machine, can be controlled by the controller to produce thedaisy-chained strip of fully shaped three-dimensional footwear uppers.The controller can be any conventional processor, computer or othercomputing device. The controller can be electrically coupled to themachine, and can be in communication with a memory, a data storagemodule, a network, a server, or other construct that can store and/ortransfer data. That program can be any particular type of data relatedto footwear uppers. For example, the program can include a first fullyshaped three-dimensional footwear upper profile pertaining to one ormore particular knitting patterns or other patterns associated withand/or incorporated into the fully shaped three-dimensional footwearupper. The profile of the fully shaped three-dimensional footwear uppercan be implemented, accessed and/or utilized by the machine, in the formof a code, program and/or other directive. The profile can be executedto generate the fully shaped three-dimensional polymer reinforcing fiberfootwear upper with various features such as: the predefinedthree-dimensional shape; the position, dimension and/or depth of a heel;the position of an apex and curve of the ankle; the length and locationof an instep with eyelets; the position and dimension of various edgesand calibration marks for sewing to the liner; the position anddimension of a toe box, also referred to as a front toe gather; theposition and dimension the cushioning areas and/or lip edge of theankle; the side to side lateral stiffness of the heel; the minimum widthof the fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper; the side to sidecurvature of the mid-foot, toe, medial arch, lateral side, and the like.

A knitted to shape three-dimensional footwear upper assembly may bepaired with a second knitted to shape three-dimensional footwear upperassembly that is a polymer reinforcing structure, which is stacked upona third knitted to shape three-dimensional footwear upper liner tocreate an article of footwear. FIG. 22 is an exemplary knitted plystructure of a three-dimensional footwear upper assembly, which may havean auxetic warp integrated technique; a second knitted to shapethree-dimensional footwear upper that is a light weight, dynamicallyflexible polymer reinforcing structure, which is stacked to create anarticle of footwear resistant to puncture, for example as a soccer boot,in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The controller and/or the automated footwear knitting/assembly machinecan access the fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assemblyshoe design profiles to thereby control the knitting/assembly machineand produce a strip of fully shaped three-dimensional footwear uppercomponents sequentially, in a desired number and configuration needed tocreate the user's desired footwear design. Each of the fully shapedthree-dimensional footwear upper layers, layer portions, appendagecomponents, and or plies can include a substantially identicalpredefined three-dimensional shape, configuration, and preferred size,and can have virtually identical physical features, such as thoseenumerated above in connection with the fully shaped three-dimensionalfootwear upper data. Alternatively, where the machine is configured toproduce only a single fully shaped three-dimensional footwear uppercomponent assembly to create the desired shoe design, the machine can becontrolled by the controller, which can utilize the first fully shapedthree-dimensional footwear upper design profile to produce a fullyshaped three-dimensional footwear upper assembly having features thatcorrespond to the design profile.

In turn, a user can configure different fully shaped three-dimensionalfootwear uppers with various performance element profiles, includingsizes, configurations, and/or modular styles, and select the one thatbest suits their preferences. In addition, if a user has a particularprofile preference, that profile can be stored in a database. When theuser wears out their first fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upperliner, or component, the user can request an identical footwear upperassembly, liner, liner portion, appendage component, or ply to beproduced. Thus, the user can start again with virtually the same fullyshaped three-dimensional footwear upper design, liner, liner portion,appendage component, or ply and associated feel as they had with theprevious fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper design. This canenhance the comfort of the user. Also, the user need not go throughextensive selection process and time period to locate a fully shapedthree-dimensional footwear upper that performs as desired. Instead, uponpurchase of the new fully shaped three-dimensional footwear uppercombination, the fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assemblydesign will consistently perform as expected. Due to the durability andlife span of materials, a user may wear out an upper cover layer, liner,liner portion, appendage component, ply or a sole and may only need toreplace that portion of the article of footwear which is worn. Knittinguppers liners, liner portions, appendage components, or pliesindividually lends itself to modular footwear designs, where shoe partssuch as soles, toe caps, uppers and inserts may be interchanged andreplaced for aesthetic or functional efficiency and practicality.

When producing an individual units or connected strip of: footwear upperassemblies with liners, liner portions, appendage components, or plies,multi-layered uppers, or fully-shaped upper assemblies, each uppersassembly unit in strip can be separated from one another in a variety ofmanners. A waste section can be knitted at the start of each individualunit or connected strip of units, at the end and in between eachindividual unit and successive unit.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the method ofmanufacturing knitted fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upperassemblies with one or more liner, liner portion, appendage component,or ply elements, the start and the bottom edge interface of the toeelement can be only a strand, or a couple strands waste and a decouplingsacrificial strand, which protects the finished bottom edge (“toe”). Inmanufacturing an individual fully shaped three dimensional upper, theheel area has no edge interface and therefore no waste section.

In manufacturing a daisy-chained strip of fully shaped three dimensionaluppers with one or more liner, liner portion, appendage component, orply elements, the heel area has an edge interface strand protecting thefinished edge of at least one component and that interface strand linksup to bottom edge of another component, for example a “toe”, interfacestrands of the next fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upperassembly component, separated by a decoupling (or sacrificial) strand.This transition area can mimic or follow the curvature of a bottom edge(“toe”) of a particular component of a fully shaped three-dimensionalupper assembly as desired. Therefore, there is no waste section except afew strands waste per unit, which is less than 1% of the total weight ofthe fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assembly.

In one example, the respective edges of a liner, liner portion,appendage component, or ply, for example heel to toe, can be joined withthe edge interface strands of another component in the form of a singlepull stitch or strand. This pull stitch can be pulled by a machine or ahuman operator so that the respective edges separate from one anotherand/or the edge interface, thereby allowing one fully shapedthree-dimensional footwear upper assembly to be removed from ordissociated from another fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upperassembly. Likewise, the edge can include one or more pull strands thatcan be pulled via a machine or human operator to separate the lower edgefrom the edge interface.

In some cases, where the lower edge of a component, for example a “toe”of one fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assembly is joineddirectly with the upper edge of for example a “heel” of another fullyshaped three-dimensional footwear upper assembly, a pull strand at theedge interface can be pulled to separate the second fully shapedthree-dimensional footwear upper assembly from the first fully shapedthree-dimensional footwear upper assembly.

Another manner of separating the fully shaped three-dimensional footwearupper assemblies from the daisy-chained strip can include the use of adecoupling element. This decoupling element can decouple one fullyshaped three-dimensional footwear upper assembly from the next, e.g., atthe edge interface or respective edges of the fully shapedthree-dimensional footwear upper components. A decoupling device can beused to decouple, which may include shears, pressurized steam or otherseparating device or mechanism, which cuts, pulls, or melts thethermoplastic separation strands across the lower edge (“toe”) of eachfully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assembly. In so doing,those shears cut, the pressurized steam melts or evaporates off, thenext adjacent and/or successive fully shaped three-dimensional footwearupper assembly. The decoupling element can make multiple cuts, multiplepulls, or steaming traverses, one adjacent the upper edge (“heel”) ofeach successive fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assemblyand/or adjacent the lower edge, for example a “toe” of the eachsuccessive fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assemblies. Incases where the edge interface element is only a strand and/or a couplestrands wide, the decoupler can cut or steam melt across this edgeinterface, thereby separating the respective edges of the third andsecond fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assemblies. Fromthere, the fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assemblies canbe dropped into a bin or other container for further processing on anindividual basis. In some embodiments, a continuous strip of multiplefully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assemblies with one ormore liner, liner portion, appendage component, or ply elements can berolled on a spool and delivered to a manufacturer who can thenmechanically or manually disassociate the individual fully shapedthree-dimensional footwear upper assemblies from the daisy-chainedstrip.

Upon decoupling of the individual fully shaped three-dimensionalfootwear assemblies, each separated upper assembly generally retaintheir predefined three-dimensional shapes. For example, even upondecoupling, the individual uppers may retain the concavity of theconcave shape and/or contour of the toe, mid-foot, instep, ankle andheel and the heel angle. Retaining its shape also assures that the fullyshaped three-dimensional footwear upper fits consistently into otherpost-processing tools, molds, and sewing equipment that is required formanufacturing the finished article of footwear (“shoe”) repeatedly andconsistently.

Making the fully shaped three-dimensional upper assemblies in adaisy-chained strip form can also generate a fully shapedthree-dimensional footwear upper assembly daisy-chained strip havingvarying widths. For example, the knitting machine can vary the widths ofthe upper assemblies in a daisy-chained strip by size and/or individualfully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assemblies of the strip.For example, the machine can mechanically manipulate strands to generatefully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assemblies along the stripthat have a width at their outermost lateral boundaries of a large sizeshoe, perhaps a men's size twenty-two. The largest size is generally themaximum width of a liner, liner portion, appendage component, or ply inthe fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assembly unit, andalong its length there is no limit. This maximum width of a strip cancorrespond to the region of the fully shaped three-dimensional footwearupper assembly unit as measured across the instep at the widest part ofthe toe flexion. It also can be the maximum of width of any individualliner, liner portion, appendage component, or ply of a fully shapedthree-dimensional footwear upper assembly or attached span of the widestappendages that is formed along the daisy-chained strip.

The machine also can mechanically manipulate the strands and the overallwidth of the daisy chained strip so that the fully shapedthree-dimensional footwear upper assemblies in the strip includes asecond width, which is less than the first width. The second width cancorrespond generally to the region of the fully shaped three-dimensionalfootwear upper assembly units near the heel, heel tab and/or any otherrearward appendage. By precisely knitting the daisy-chained strip in therespective fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upper assembliestherein, minimal waste is generated from the process. This is true evenwhen the individual fully shaped three-dimensional footwear upperassemblies and the daisy-chained strip width varies. The knittingmachine may also knit different sizes of a fully shapedthree-dimensional footwear upper assemblies, and any layers, liners,liner portions, appendage components, or plies required of the design,with each component as a unit, without the edge interface strand. Thewaste material that is usually knitted between the maximum width and thesmaller width of different units in a strip with off the shelf machinebuilder software and CAD in addition to an interface strand wouldotherwise be removed and discarded as waste. Further, to remove thismaterial would typically require additional machinery and/or humanintervention or manipulation.

Textile materials for forming typical shoe uppers may be selected basedupon the properties of wear-resistance, flexibility, stretch, andair-permeability, for example. The upper assembly may be formed by aconventional method of cutting and sewing, therefore cut from numerousmaterial elements, which each may impart different properties tospecific portions of the upper. This cutting and sewing method createsconsiderable waste.

In some embodiments, selection of a yarn takes into consideration thesize of the shoes. For example, for the same shoe configuration (thesame style or model) and the same specific zone (e.g., the toe portion)of the shoe, the reinforcement yarn used to make a size 6 shoe can bedifferent from that used on a size 12. For example the reinforcementyarns have different strength or other specification, or can be knittedin a different manner or different layout (different area proportions),for the different sizes. A monofilament or an adhesive yarn may be usedmathematically and proportionally different for size 6 than for size 12,e.g., different in strength, thickness, or layout.

Two-dimensionally shaped knitted textiles and/or three dimensionallyknitted textiles, which are semi-finished textiles used in footwearuppers are generally seamed at the heel, the medial arch or other partsof the foot, generally provide lightweight, air-permeable structuresthat are flexible and comfortably receive the foot, and have heightenedmovement and flexibility. Use of roll good fabrics, die cut, hand cut,two-dimensionally shaped knitted textiles and/or three dimensionallyknitted textiles which are semi-finished in footwear uppers typicallyrequire seams. Seams introduce difficulties and limitations, to includedifficulties in manufacture and freedom of design, and unintendedabrasion to the user causing, for example, blisters and therebycompromising athletic performance.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, layer, liner, linerportion, appendage component, or ply structure in the shape of afootwear upper, liner, or component can be formed entirely in one piecehas no seam weakness or failure points and causes no seam irritation orpressure points.

To impart other properties to any layer, liner, liner portion, appendagecomponent, or ply of the fully finished three-dimensionally knittedfootwear assembly structure, including durability, flex/recovery,comfort, and stretch-resistance, additional materials can be typicallycombined or integrated in the knitting process, including but notlimited to reflective, cut resistant, flame-retardancy, shock resistant,thermoplastic, insulative, adhesive, reinforcing, ventilating,cushioning, reflective, aesthetic, for example. Three-dimensionallyknitting an upper assembly to shape allows integrating specificmaterials into areas, the ability to transition or blend thereinforcement, stretch or other specific performance features, intoregions to: reinforce against abrasion or other forms of wear; provideseamless flex; create areas of stretch resistance/limitation or otherperformance features; better secure the upper assembly to the sole;minimize waste of materials. Combining features of a reinforcingstructure layer or element and a three-dimensionally knitted performancelayer in an article of footwear, creates a multi-functional shoestructure.

During the knitting process, as shown in FIG. 21, a series of strandsmay be fed into the machine by automatically pulling a plurality ofstrands or other materials off a plurality of spools/packages 66 withthe movement of the knitting machine feeders 10. Specialized materialssuch as fiber-reinforced polymer strands, auxetic strands, stainlesssteel, silicon, chain, metals, heated hose, catheter heater wire,sensing wire, cable, braid, extrusion, and other materials that must bepackaged on a spool 65, and ‘unwound’ off that package not to causetorque are fed into the machine by any automatic unspooling device 66.An upper assembly, one or more layer, liners, liner portion, appendagecomponent, or plies may be combined to create a complete article offootwear.

Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention willbe, or will become, apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art uponexamination of the following figures and detailed description. It isintended that all such additional systems, methods, features andadvantages be included within this description and this summary, bewithin the scope of the invention, and be protected by the followingclaims.

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
 1. A method of manufacturing footwear articles, themethod comprising: performing a knitting process by using a knittingmachine to generate a plurality of knitted members of a first footwearupper, wherein each knitted member is one of: a footwear upper layer; afootwear upper appendage; and a footwear upper ply, wherein the knittingprocess comprises: knitting the plurality of knitted members in sequenceby using multiple strand materials, wherein each knitted member isknitted with finished edges; and generating textile connectionstructures to attach each knitted member with an adjacent knittedmember; by using the knitting machine, repositioning the plurality ofknitted members relative to each other into a first unitary textileconstruction that defines the first footwear upper, wherein the firstunitary textile construction comprises: a lateral side portion; a toeportion; a medial side portion; an ankle portion; an instep portion; anda heel portion; and attaching the first footwear upper with an outsole.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the repositioning comprises plying,gathering and folding the plurality of knitted members, and whereinfurther, the repositioning the plurality of knitted members results inthe first unitary textile construction comprising a foot receiving voidand no sewn seam.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the knitting processcomprises knitting a knitted member by using a performance strandmaterial.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein selected knitted members ofthe plurality of knitted members are aligned to each other.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the knitting process comprises knitting adecorative pattern in multiple selected knitted members, and wherein therepositioning aligns the decorative patterns across the multipleselected knitted members.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein theplurality of knitted members comprises a first footwear upper layer, andwherein the knitting process comprises: knitting a main body of thefirst footwear upper layer; and knitting a vertical warp textileattached to the main body by moving a strand in a vertical direction asa textile connection structure.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein theknitting process comprises inter-looping a thermoplastic strand andplaiting the thermoplastic strand on opposing faces of two or moreadjacent knitted members of the plurality of knitted members; thethermoplastic strand applied as opposing design configuration onadjacent faces of two or more adjacent knitted members.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the knitting process comprises knitting a reinforcementknitting yarn into one or more knitted members of the plurality ofknitted members, and wherein the reinforcement knitting yarn comprisesone of: a non-thermal adhesive yarn, an adhesive yarn; a reinforcementmonofilament yarn, and wherein the reinforcement yarn is selected in amathematical and proportional configuration in one or more knittedmembers, wherein the mathematical and proportional configuration isspecific to a shoe size.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the knittingprocess comprises knitting a reinforcement monofilament yarn into asection of at least a footwear upper layer of the first footwear upper.10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first unitary textileconstruction further comprises a tongue portion, and wherein theknitting process comprises: knitting a part of the tongue portion in afirst footwear upper member in the plurality of knitted members; andknitting a remainder part of the tongue portion in at least one otherknitted member of the plurality of knitted members.
 11. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of knitting members further comprises acushioning assembly, wherein the knitting process comprises: knitting apart of the cushion portion in a first footwear upper member in theplurality of knitted members; and knitting a remainder part of thecushion portion in one or more knitted members of the plurality ofknitted members.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the textileconnection structures comprise a live hinged knitted textile element.13. A footwear article comprising: a full-gauge seamless upper of one ormore double-bed fabrics formed in a first unitary knit constructionfabricated using a knitting process performed by a knitting machine,wherein the first unitary knit construction has no sewn seams andcomprises: a plurality of knitted members each knitted into shapethrough the knitting process on the knitting machine, wherein eachknitted member comprises finished edges resulting from the knittingprocess, wherein each knitted member is one of: a footwear upper layer;a footwear upper appendage; and a footwear upper ply; and textileconnection structures attaching each knitted member with an adjacentknitted member, wherein the textile connection structures are resultingfrom the knitting process by using the knitting machine, wherein thefirst unitary textile construction defines a plurality of portionscomprising: a lateral side portion; a toe portion; a medial sideportion; an ankle portion; an instep portion; and a heel portion, andwherein further each of the plurality of portions is knitted into shapethrough the knitting process and is connected to another portionseamlessly by knitting stitches that are generated in the knittingprocess; and an outsole.
 14. The footwear article of claim 13, whereinthe first unitary textile construction further comprises at least oneknitted member that is knitted with a performance strand material. 15.The footwear article of claim 13, wherein the plurality of knittedmembers comprises a first footwear upper layer, and wherein the firstfootwear upper layer comprises: a main body; and at least one verticalwarp textile member attached to the main body.
 16. wear article of claim13, wherein the first unitary textile construction comprises athermoplastic strand interloped and plaited on opposing faces of two ormore adjacent knitted member of the plurality of knitted members; thethermoplastic strand applied as opposing design configuration onadjacent faces of two or more adjacent knitted members.
 17. The footweararticle of claim 13, wherein the plurality of knitted members comprisesa one or more knitted members comprising a reinforcement knitting yarn,and wherein the reinforcement knitting yarn comprises one of: anon-thermal adhesive yarn, an adhesive yarn; a reinforcementmonofilament yarn, and wherein the reinforcement yarn is selected in amathematical and proportional configuration in one or more knittedmembers, and wherein further the mathematical and proportionalconfiguration is specific to a shoe size.
 18. The footwear article ofclaim 13, wherein the reinforcement knitting yarn is knitted across aninstep portion, a toe portion and a heel portion of at least one knittedmember of the plurality of knitted members.
 19. The footwear article ofclaim 13, wherein the first unitary textile construction furthercomprises a tongue portion, wherein a part of the tongue portion isknitted in a first footwear upper member in the plurality of knittedmembers, and a remainder part of the tongue portion is knitted in atleast one other knitted member of the plurality of knitted members. 20.The footwear article of claim 13, wherein the plurality of knittingmembers comprises a cushioning assembly, wherein the knitting processcomprises: knitting a part of the cushion portion in a first footwearupper member in the plurality of knitted members; and knitting aremainder part of the cushion portion in one or more knitted members ofthe plurality of knitted members.
 21. The footwear article of claim 13,wherein the textile connection structures comprise a live hinged knittedtextile element.